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Deputies dispute annual pay raise calculations

Problem is, the extra cash isn't as much as they expected, and they want answers from the Madison County Commission.

The problem apparently involves an additional two hours - four hours a pay period, eight hours a month, 100 hours a year - that sheriff's deputies work each week.

When the Carl Vinson Institute calculated cost-of-living raises for all Madison County employees, commissioners told deputies to expect an initial $1.13- to $2-per-hour raise and the same raise next year, said Madison County Sheriff Clayton Lowe.

Instead, deputies saw an average increase of about 40 cents per hour and were told to anticipate an additional 20 cents per hour next year, Lowe said.

All other Madison County employees, with the exception of its road department, saw the raises they were told to expect.

"It's just kind of confusing when you're working more hours than everyone else, but you see a smaller raise," Capt. Mike Benner said.

The law enforcement officers think the study took a wrong turn when it calculated the raises based on 80-hour pay periods.

Deputies work 84 hours in a two-week pay period compared to the 80 hours all other Madison County employees work, Lowe said.

The study shorted deputies about 100 pay hours per year.

"That lowers their pay scale significantly," Lowe said.

Madison County is competitive in its starting salary for deputies, which is about $30,000 a year, he said.

In comparison, Oglethorpe County's deputies start at $25,235 a year. In Barrow County, it's $31,000, and Jackson County's deputies start at about $35,568 a year.

Madison County doesn't struggle with retention, Benner said. Instead, he said the department is having difficulty filling four available positions with certified law enforcement officers.

"Our guys, they know they're not going to make a lot of money," Lowe said. "They live in a rural county, and our tax base is a lot lower. But our veteran guys with five to 10 years' experience should be seeing better pay raises."

The sheriff said he believes commissioners understand the raise is unfair and are working to correct the disagreement.